UNITED NATIONS – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged for global cooperation and solidarity to combat infectious diseases.

Guterres said that fostering global solidarity will "give every country a fighting opportunity to stop infectious diseases in their tracks" in his video message for the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, which falls on December 27. The UN Chief noted that Covid-19 continues to highlight how swiftly "an infectious disease can sweep across the world," pushing health systems to breaking point and upending daily life for everyone.

"It also revealed our failure to learn from recent health crises such as SARS, avian influenza, Zika, Ebola, and others," he said. "It also warned us that the world is woefully unable to prevent localised epidemics from spreading across borders and exploding into a global pandemic," he continued.

Guterres stated that infectious diseases are still a "clear and present hazard to every country," and that Covid-19 would not be humanity's last pandemic. He emphasised the importance of preparing for the next health crisis while the globe responds to current one. "This requires increasing investments in better surveillance, early detection, and fast response plans in all countries, particularly the most susceptible," he said.

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